The 1998 Chapter Annual Meeting will be held at the Anchorage Hilton September 30 through October 3, 1998. The meeting is in conjunction with the Western Division AFS, North Pacific International Chapter, and Alaska Sea Grant's Wakefield Symposium. Our Chapter has the lead in organizing this joint meeting. The theme for both the Wakefield and AFS sessions is "Ecosystem Considerations in Fishery Management." Papers in the Wakefield Symposium will be published but not peer reviewed. Anyone interested in organizing a session should contact Program Chair Bob Bilby by January 15, 1998, at (253) 924-6557, Weyerhaeuser Co., WTC1A5. Tacoma, WA 98477-0001; e-mail bilbyb@wdni.com .
Abstracts Due To contribute an oral or poster presentation at the Wakefield Symposium, abstracts must be submitted NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15, 1998. Abstracts for all other sessions are due March 30, 1998. For the Wakefield Symposium, e-mail your abstract (as part of the message, not an attachment) to FNBRB@uaf.eduFNBRB@uaf.edu. If no e-mail, send hard copy and computer disk to Brenda Baxter, Alaska Sea Grant College Program UAF, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks 99775-5040; 474-6701; fax 474-6285; http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/Conferences/symposia.htmlhttp://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/Conferences/symposia.html. Send abstracts for AFS sessions to Bob Bilby (address above). All abstracts must include title (upper/lower case with minimal words), author names as for publication, full affiliation and mailing address, and phone, fax, and e-mail address. The abstract text should be <300 words. Indicate whether it is for oral or poster presentation.
The Local Arrangements Committee has been working hard to line up details and arrangements. We could still use some Anchorage folks to help with arrangements. If you are interested in being on the Local Arrangements Committee, call Bill Hauser at 267-2172 or e-mail BillH@fishgame.state.ak.us. You are welcome to come to the next Local Arrangements Committee meeting, Thursday January 8, 1998, 1:30 pm, at the Arlis Library, 3150 C St., Anchorage. If you are interested in being on the AFS Program Committee or an AFS session chair contact Program Chair Bob Bilby (address above).
A continuing education session is planned before the meeting, on September 29. If you have special requests for a class, contact Pat Hansen at 267-2441, PatH@fishgame.state.ak.us. If you have other questions, ideas, or comments, please contact Overall Program Chair Cindy Hartmann at 586-7585, e-mail Cindy.Hartmann@noaa.gov.
The 24th Annual Meeting of the Alaska Chapter of AFS held in Juneau on November 18-20, 1997 was attended by more than 190 people. Its theme was "From the Mountains to the Sea: Linked Ecosystems."; The opening session featured David Benton representing ADF&G Commissioner Frank Rue, who spoke on the Department’s commitment to scientifically based management of salmon stocks. This was followed by USFS Regional Forester Phil Janik who emphasized the importance of maintaining anadromous fish habitat throughout the Tongass National Forest.
The first keynote speaker, Jim Sedell, traced the significance of large woody debris from headwater streams into the open ocean where it provides cover for diverse marine invertebrates. The second keynote speaker, David Welch, presented data from high seas surveys of Pacific salmon that showed sharp thermal boundaries limiting their rearing area. Current models of global warming predict large-scale northward shifts in marine rearing areas. One model predicts temperature increases would restrict sockeye salmon rearing to the Bering Sea by the middle of the next century. More than 60 papers in 11 sessions covered topics ranging from the Tongass Land Management Plan, Pacific herring research and management, function and management of headwater streams in the Pacific Northwest, to management and research on shellfish. Abstracts of most presentations will be available on the Chapter website.
John Clark was awarded the Wally Noerenburg Award, and Fred Everest received the Meritorious Service Award for his work on the Tongass Land Management Plan which included significant advances in aquatic habitat protection on the Tongass National Forest. The outstanding paper for the 1997 meeting was presented by John Hudson on "Salmon carcasses increase stream macroinvertebrate abundance in Alaska." Carol Kerkvliet, who also received the Cultural Diversity Travel Award, along with her co-authors Penny Crane and Lisa Seeb, were recognized for the best poster of the meeting, "Genetic relationships among Alaska chinook salmon populations based on variation at multiple allozyme and microsatellite loci."
The 1998 meeting will be next October in Anchorage, co-hosted by the Western Division and North Pacific International Chapter in conjunction with the Wakefield Symposium. Plan to attend now. It promises to be an outstanding event.
Quorum was determined by show of hands; 22 Chapter members were present. Meeting was called to order at 4:10 pm. The Chapter’s Executive Committee was introduced: Peggy Merritt, Past-President; Mason (Buck) Bryant, President; Cindy Hartmann, President-Elect; Bill Bechtol (not present), newly-elected Vice President; Allen Bingham, Treasurer; David Wiswar, Secretary; and Lisa Mostella, Student Unit President. The approval of a change in the Chapter By-laws to split the Treasurer/Secretary position was announced. A motion was made by Chuck Meacham to approve the minutes from the 1996 Chapter Business Meeting; Alex Wertheimer seconded, and the motion was approved.
Treasurer’s report: Treasurer Allen Bingham reported a net balance of $64,670.23, including $13,421.99 in the main Chapter checking account, $17,198.01 in the Chapter’s cash management account, $7,002.79 in a Certificate of Deposit (CD) for the Cultural Diversity Award Fund, $10,000 in a CD for the Wally Noerenburg Award Fund, $13,806.94 in the Fishes of Alaska Key checking account, $2,467.00 in the Raffle checking account, $4,604.00 in accounts receivable, $2,931.50 in undeposited funds (through 18 November 1997), and approximately ($6,798.00) in Accounts Payable.
Committee Reports [See full reports elsewhere in this issue.]
Outgoing President’s Address: Peggy Merritt talked about some of the Chapter’s accomplishments during the past year which included joining with Sea Grant for a joint conference in 1998, position statements on forest practices and mining reform, stocks-at-risk assessment, preparing for the Annual Meeting in 1997 and hosting the Western Division meeting in 1998, the cultural diversity award, and continuing education.
New President’s Comments: Buck Bryant presented his goals for the Chapter for the next year to increase membership participation and diversity, both professionally and socially. Buck wants to attract more members to the Chapter from the fields of shellfish and groundfish biology. He also wants to attract more student participation. Buck stressed the importance of communication through the newsletter Oncorhynchus and adding progress reports and various topics to the web site.
New business:
Establishment of an Award for Chapter Service-The topic of splitting the Meritorious Service Award to reflect both service to the Chapter as well as recent contributions to Alaska fisheries management and education was introduced. The Awards Committee needs to define the term "recent." A brief discussion ensued. The motion was voted on, and there was approval for two awards.
The 1998 Meeting-The 1998 meeting will be held in Anchorage, September 30 through October 3. Cindy Hartmann presented background on the meeting which will be a joint meeting between the Alaska Chapter, the North Pacific International Chapter, and the Alaska Sea Grant-Lowell Wakefield Symposium to host the Western Division Annual Meeting. The theme is "Ecosystems Considerations in Fisheries Management". Abstracts are due January 15, 1998, as brochures announcing the agenda for meeting go out March 15, 1998. More information is on the Sea Grant web site: http://www.uaf.alaska.edu/seagrant/Conferences/ecosys.html. The meeting and deadlines will be advertised in the Western Division newsletter and Oncorhynchus.
Early Election of Officers-Offices of the Vice President and Treasurer will vacate next year. The announcement and ballots for candidates are required to be put in the summer Oncorhynchus because of the early meeting schedule next year.
A motion was made to adjourn by Bill Wilson; Joe Webb seconded. The motion carried by voice vote, and the meeting adjourned at 5:15 pm.
Proceedings of this coastwide conference, jointly sponsored by the Lower Umpqua Flycasters and the Oregon Chapter AFS in Reedsport, Oregon, October 1995, are now available. Included are 27 papers on biology, status from California to Alaska; Umpqua River case study where the species has been listed as endangered; and restoration and recovery. Among the authors are Bob Behnke, Tom Northcote, Willa Nehlsen, Bill Pearcy, Pat Trotter, and Jack Williams. Also included are abstracts of contributed papers and posters presented at the meeting. The publication is $20 postpaid and can be ordered from Oregon Chapter, AFS, P.O. Box 722, Corvallis, OR 97339. Citation: Hall, J.D., P.A. Bisson, and R.E. Gresswell, editors. 1997. Sea-run cutthroat trout: biology, management, and future conservation. Oregon Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Corvallis. 183 pages.
Are you aware that the Student Subsection of the Education Section was created to ensure that your voice is heard? Are you aware that the Student Subsection created "An AFS Guide to Fisheries Employment," your indispensable guide to getting a job? Are you aware that the Student Subsection publishes the Student's Angle column in Fisheries? The Student Subsection works for you, but you need to join it to make it work. Joining is easy. Just send $5.00 to Trish Milburn at the AFS office (5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, MD 20814-2199) and tell her you want to join the Education Section (or check the appropriate box on your renewal form). You must join the Education Section to be in the Student Subsection. To find out more, contact Craig Paukert at 404 LSW, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078; 405-744-6342; e-mail: cpauk@okstate.edu.
Fred Everest of the USFS is this year’s recipient of the Meritorious Service Award. In giving this award, the Chapter acknowledges Fred’s recent and outstanding contributions to aquatic research in Alaska. Fred was the Program Manager for Aquatic/Land Interaction Research at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Juneau where he developed a highly integrated and robust research program on aquatic habitat in Southeast Alaska. During his tenure, Fred actively promoted riparian management based on sound science. He was instrumental in introducing watershed analysis as part of the planning process for Forest Service lands. Most recently, he was policy coordinator and principal science advisor for fisheries on the Tongass Land Management Planning Team. Fred has consistently promoted the application of sound science in habitat management to support healthy aquatic ecosystems and fishery resources.
Carol Kerkvliet
I was honored to be the first recipient of the Cultural Diversity Travel Award which paid my travel expenses to attend the 1997 Chapter meeting in Juneau. AFS volunteers established this award to give under-represented scientists a chance to attend AFS meetings. I encourage qualifying scientists to apply for the Cultural Diversity Travel Award to attend the 1998 Western Division Meeting in Anchorage. It had been a long time since I attended an AFS meeting in its entirety. I was impressed by the wide range of topics presented. Some of these topics were new to me and helped expand my knowledge of factors affecting fish. Since our profession is becoming more specialized and compartmentalized, these meetings are becoming more important as they provide opportunities for all of us to broaden our outlook and keep informed of the latest innovations and theories.
Socializing is another important aspect of these meetings. At this meeting, I had the opportunity to visit "old" friends and make a few new ones. You might ask how does socializing help fish? Well, all of us had at least one thing in common. We like fish. A meeting like this allows us to know one another beyond our titles and agencies. I believe this familiarity helps us work together more effectively toward the betterment of our fisheries. Thank you AFS for a terrific 3 days.
Reach out and... The AFS is not a secret organization and does not require special qualifications for membership. Members include a wide array of individuals actively working in aquatic ecology and fisheries or interested in the field. The Society includes and encourages a culturally and professionally diverse membership which reflects a wide array of ideas and values. For example, consider the recent symposium on Human Use of Aquatic Resources at the Monterey meeting.
One of the primary missions of AFS is to generate and distribute information to advance fisheries science and conserve fisheries resources. To accomplish this mission, the Society publishes numerous journals (e.g., Transactions and Fisheries), sponsors a range of symposia and workshops, and holds annual meetings. The Alaska Chapter--as do other subunits--holds annual meetings and publishes a quarterly newsletter. The Society maintains a web page (www.esd.orn.gov/societies/afs/index.html ) as does the Chapter (www.alaska.net/~fishak/ ). The purpose of all these media is to promote the exchange of ideas, information, and data on fisheries and aquatic science.
All of this is not news to you. But what about your colleague down the hall? Who knows about your current project or management issue? The publications, newsletters, workshops, and web pages are nothing more than tools, and as such, are of no use unless people use them. There are two elements here: The tools can be used to gather information or to generate information. Both require people to participate, and the process is iterative.
This is not biometrics--to some, biometrics seems like rocket science. It’s pretty simple. Someone writes a summary of their current project on migration patterns of arctic grayling; another person reads about it and discovers techniques that apply to their own studies of cutthroat trout. So what’s the problem? There has to be a "somebody" to write the summary and someone to read it. Obviously, if you’ve read this far you can probably figure that you are a likely candidate to write something. Indeed, that is a good idea. But what about the person "down the hall" who is not a member of AFS and does not receive Oncorhynchus or Fisheries?
While writing about current activities is one method to communicate within the Society, others means are equally effective. These include participating in any number of standing committees (e.g., Environmental Concerns). A list of standing committees and chairs can be found on the Chapter Web Page. Throughout the year, the Chapter conducts continuing education courses. Recent courses have ranged from technical writing to using SAS programing language. In December, a workshop on natural resources communication will be given in Fairbanks. Does your colleague down the hall (or supervisor) know about the courses offered by the Chapter? Do they know that members pay a lower rate? The Annual Meeting offers one of the best opportunities to establish and renew contacts throughout the state. Further, the formal presentations papers and posters provide a diversity that extends well beyond the confines of individual work units and disciplines. It is a time to create new ideas, new approaches to problems, and find new solutions.
If you did not attend the 1997 meeting, peruse the agenda and abstracts which will be posted shortly on the Chapter Web Page. Sessions ranged from salmon management to research on headwater streams and their effects on downstream processes to shellfish management and aquaculture. Plenary speakers covered the role of large wood from headwater streams to its role in the marine environment, and the effects of temperature on marine distribution of salmon and the potential effects of ocean warming on salmon rearing in the marine environment. You can read the abstracts, but if you were not at the meeting, you missed the details and didn’t get to ask questions or meet the speakers. If you did attend the meeting, you can talk about it to the non-member "down-the-hall." But they weren’t there. Maybe next year?
While non-members may not regard the Chapter and AFS as a "secret society," they may not be aware of what membership brings with it. So you "reveal the secrets." And it’s not just pay the dues and read the magazine. Among other things, it’s professional development, career support, and a chance to do a better job regardless of their position-- research, management, or administration--or agency--state, federal, or private. Now you have another person to read about your project, but also another set of ideas has been brought into the network. The network within the Chapter transcends organizational boundaries and often boundaries within disciplines. The obvious benefit is the infusion and cross-fertilization of ideas that will serve to improve research and management of aquatic resources. But the network will work only if people participate and encourage others to use it. This begins with individuals who bring others and new ideas into the network.
While reaching out to new members really should not be a "sales job," some "sales tools" are available in the form of information leaflets and brochures. There are even incentives for members who recruit new members. Bill Bechtol, our new Vice President and chair of the Membership Committee, can provide some of these tools (BillB@fishgame.state.ak.us). In the meantime, get into the network and reach out and pull the strings in the Chapter.
And those of you who persevered through this column, here’s a chance to win a coveted Alaska Chapter coffee cup. Dolly Varden is a character in a Charles Dickens novel. In which novel does she appear? I will randomly select one individual from the group of correct answers that I receive before February 15, 1998 (current EXCOM members and Oncorhynchus editor are ineligible--sorry, I invented the contest and get to make up the rules). Send me your entry; the address is in this issue’s Officers Box.
The Awards Committee is pleased to announce the Best Paper Awards from the Chapter’s 1997 Annual Meeting. The Awards Committee annually judges posters and papers presented at the Annual Meeting. This year, the Best Student Paper was Jennifer Bolt’s "Forage fish availability to seabirds in Prince William Sound." Jennifer’s co-authors were Lew Haldorson and Kenneth Cole. The Best Poster Award went to Carol Kerkvliet, Penny Crane and Lisa Seeb for "Genetic relationships among Alaska chinook salmon populations based on variation at multiple allozyme and microsatellite loci." The Best Paper Award went to John Hudson, Mark Wipfli, and John Caouette for "Salmon carcasses increase stream macroinvertebrate abundance in Alaska." Congratulations!
John H. Clark, currently residing in Helena, Montana, received the prestigious Wallace H. Noerenburg Award for Fisheries Excellence from the Alaska Chapter. President Peggy Merritt, presented the award at the Annual Meeting in Juneau. John was recognized for a long career in Alaska fisheries, extending into retirement where he consults for the State of Alaska on endangered species and U.S./Canada Salmon Treaty issues. John began his career with ADF&G in 1974 as a research biologist in Bristol Bay. He served as Chief Fisheries Scientist for ADF&G, as the first director of the new Division in charge of Exxon Valdez oilspill studies, and as regional supervisor in Fairbanks responsible for recreational fisheries in the Interior. He frequently represented ADF&G on science panels, committees, and workshops, including the Scientific and Statistical Committee of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council where he helped evaluate shellfish and groundfish regulations. John was instrumental in upgrading technical aspects of the State's fisheries program since 1975, particularly in the area of adapting developing technology, such as sonar and scale pattern analysis, to analyze complex fisheries issues. The programs initiated under his leadership have greatly expanded the State's ability to manage its fishery stocks. John also received the Chapter's Meritorious Service Award in 1989 in recognition of his efforts to coordinate research after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He is the tenth individual to receive the Noerenburg Award since established in 1981.
Nominations are needed now for ten 1998 AFS awards, including the AFS Award of Excellence, President’s Fishery Conservation Award, and others. The nomination deadline for most awards is April 15, 1998. Check the December issue of Fisheries for details. Any questions? Contact Marilyn Brown at 301-897-8616 x201; mbrown@fisheries.org.
Copies of the Chapter-sponsored symposium 'Fish Ecology in Arctic North America' (AFS Symposium 19) are available for purchase from President Buck Bryant. The symposium was held at UAF in 1992, and the proceedings summarize knowledge of freshwater, anadromous, and marine fishes and invertebrates in arctic and subarctic North America. This 345-page publication consists of 34 peer-reviewed papers useful for management and science and will serve as a valuable reference for years to come.
The book costs $59 for AFS members ($99 non-members) plus $2.00 shipping. It can be ordered from Buck Bryant (Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 2770 Sherwood Ln, Suite 2A, Juneau 99801; 586-8811x228; mbryant@ptialaska.net). Send check or money order payable to AFS (no credit cards). While you’re at it, ask Buck for an Alaska Chapter coffee cup for $12.50 plus $2.00 shipping.
Dear Mr. Janik,
The Alaska Chapter, American Fisheries Society, has reviewed the Tongass Land Management Plan Revision (TLMP) with respect to its implications for fisheries, and aquatic and riparian habitats. We offer the following critique of the plan in the interests of improving and strengthening its interpretation and implementation regarding fisheries and habitat concerns. The TLMP was recently completed following a process that made noteworthy efforts to include input from a broad range of disciplines from both the management and research branches of the US Forest Service. Specialists from other agencies, state and federal, and universities also made significant contributions to this process.
TLMP Improvements: The TLMP emphasizes protection and maintenance of riparian and aquatic habitats in the Tongass National Forest. Although salmonids often serve as the primary index of aquatic habitat health, the TLMP also stresses protection and management of the watershed, the keystone of aquatic production. General guidelines are listed for the management, enhancement, rehabilitation, and restoration of riparian and aquatic habitats. For each level of management activity, ranging from wilderness areas to timber harvests, the protection of aquatic resources is emphasized. Suggested management prescriptions generally coincide with land use designations.
Specific recommendations for watershed protection, as adopted from the 1995 Anadromous Fish Habitat Assessment, are incorporated into the aquatic and riparian sections of the TLMP. These include the extension of buffer strips into headwater streams that feed salmonid systems. While the mandated 100-foot buffer strips provide minimum protection in all streams, management zones that exclude programmed timber harvests are expanded to 130 feet in some stream types and to floodplains or defined riparian areas in other types. The TLMP also incorporates mechanisms to identify watershed values and to assess potential risks from development activities.
Several unique/sensitive fish species and landscapes throughout the Tongass National Forest are recognized. Populations of chinook salmon on Admiralty Island, chum salmon in Fish Creek near Hyder, and northern pike in the Pike Lakes of Yakutat are given a high level of protection and identified for additional studies of life histories, biological and genetic characteristics, and habitat requirements. Specialized and unique landscapes, such as karst areas, are identified for special management to ensure the protection of aquatic resources.
Monitoring and evaluation of management strategies and resource information needs are directly addressed in the TLMP. Guidelines are included to assess the effectiveness of the TLMP and to improve management strategies. During the development of TLMP, significant gaps in the understanding of forest and watershed processes were identified.
TLMP Limitations: Although generally emphasizing the importance of riparian and aquatic habitat and fish resources, the TLMP remains a management plan for timber harvest. For example, six of the ten priority information needs are directly related to timber harvest. Aspects of aquatic resource management focus on minimizing short-term risks to those resources during timber harvest. However, the TLMP fails to adequately address management of second growth forests and second growth riparian zones, and the importance of these habitats to aquatic production.
Specific habitat prescriptions are offered for timber harvest and other resource extraction activities throughout the TLMP. However, these prescriptions are not mandatory and are modified by ambiguous terminology, such as "where feasible," that undermine the effectiveness of riparian and aquatic habitat protection measures.
Several aspects of buffer strip management are lacking in the TLMP. The mandated 100-foot buffer strips are applied to the horizontal distance from the stream channel, but expansion beyond the mandated distance uses slope distance, decreasing the effective buffer width. Although the TLMP requires buffer strips to be "wind firm", criteria have not been defined. Buffer strip management measures emphasize the contribution of large wood to perennial fish streams, but the importance of off channel habitats, which are often seasonal, is not adequately addressed. As a result class IV streams are afforded little or no protection during timber harvest.
Considerable work remains to be completed in the design of an effective methodology for watershed analysis that will accomplish the TLMP’s stated objectives. Watershed analysis is a significant part of land management planning.
Suggestions: Watershed and forest management practices, standards and guidelines should be consolidated into a single handbook. The purpose is to unify watershed, riparian, and fish habitat management into a single source, eliminate inconsistent and/or confusing management standards, unify and clarify management prescriptions for watersheds and stream processes, and link riparian management with aquatic habitat management. A model for this exists in the Aquatic Habitat Management Handbook.
Replace ambiguous terminology such as "where feasible" with concrete, enforceable language. Although exceptions to recommended practices may occur, these exceptions should be addressed directly and the burden of proof of "no effect or negligible effect" placed on the disturbing activity.
Headwater and ephemeral streams (class IV streams) are identified but given little protection with the exception of buffer recommendations for V notch streams. Means of minimizing disturbance to class IV streams should be further discussed. The role of class IV streams in watershed productivity is not well known and the potential for irreversible adverse effects after harvest justifies a more conservative management strategy.
Management prescriptions and watershed analysis for floodplain and riparian zones should be strengthened to emphasize their importance in aquatic productivity. Although these areas are identified in the TLMP for special consideration, measures complementing their importance are lacking. The interactions between the riparian and aquatic habitats are complex and the effects of disturbance by human activities on these processes are not well understood. These interactions should be specifically identified as a priority information need for the TLMP.
The information needs section should devote more attention to the basic understanding of the long-term ecological processes that support sustainable land use management. Currently, there is a preponderance of timber harvest information needs, at the expense of needs relating to the understanding of fundamental ecological processes in the Tongass National Forest. Knowledge of these processes is critical to sustainable timber and aquatic production.
Conclusions: The TLMP represents a significant improvement in the management of watersheds in the Tongass National Forest, but its success depends upon how it is implemented. Two critical elements to its successful implementation are adequate funding and the commitment of local resource managers with the impetus and authority to make knowledgeable decisions. The TLMP represents a substantial effort by a large number of professionals and its implementation should significantly reduce risk to aquatic resources during forest management activities.
The commercial fishery for walleye pollock in Prince William Sound developed in 1995. The ADF&G has actively investigated research and management options for this resource. After a successful meeting among researchers, managers, and industry representatives last year, ADF&G will again host a meeting on the management and research of walleye pollock in Prince William Sound (PWS). The Aerie conference room at the ADF&G regional office in Anchorage (333 Raspberry Rd; ph: 235-2105) has been reserved on Wednesday, 7 January 1998, for the pollock meeting. Tentative topics include 1997 fishery and assessment review; 1998 harvest strategies; EVOS/SEA/APEX surveys; stock comparisons; other species considerations (e.g., marine mammals and seabirds); NMFS research (trawl fishing power comparison, NMFS trawl net vs. ADF&G nets, predation model); and future PWS assessment work. Anyone interested in attending should contact Bill Bechtol (235-8191; billb@fishgame.state.ak.us).
A scientific symposium to be held on the 10th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill will highlight research related to the spill, its impacts, and the status of recovery. "Legacy of an Oil Spill: 10 Years after Exxon Valdez" will be held March 23-27, 1999, in Anchorage. Symposium sponsors are soliciting abstracts now for oral and poster presentations, including such topics as: Injury and recovery, emphasizing multi-year studies with biological, ecological, or socio-economic data sets; Ecological and other factors that limit or influence recovery, productivity, and long-term population trends; Management applications and restoration benefits of studies and projects; Syntheses and models that integrate data on Prince William Sound and Gulf of Alaska ecosystems; and Prevention and response (including cleanup) techniques. Deadline for submitting abstracts is May 15, 1998. The symposium is sponsored by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council and its six trustee agencies, the University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program, and the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council. For further information, contact Brenda Baxter, Alaska Sea Grant College Program, UAF, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks 99775; e-mail: FNBRB@uaf.edu.
Aquatic Education
Aquatic Education Sara Case, Chair. Committee members completed the primary level Alaskan version of the Canadian curriculum, "Salmonids in the Classroom." Copies were requested and distributed like hot cakes. Teachers are already requesting copies of the intermediate-level version being developed. The computer changes of edits for the intermediate-level version have stalled somewhat. Disk copies of the changes made electronically to date were supposed to have been sent to the person developing the curriculum in April; however, the disks have not been received. Completion date for the intermediate-level version is uncertain.
Continuing Education
Patricia Hansen, Chair. A survey soliciting members’ training needs was developed and distributed at the 1996 Annual Meeting. Dr. Jud Monroe held his technical writing workshop for the Chapter in February in Anchorage. The course was attended by 31 people and was well received. Participants brought draft manuscripts and received individual help finalizing them. Two highly successful concurrent 5-day training workshops on beginning and advanced SAS were held. The SAS workshops were well attended. In December, Dr. Jon Hopper is scheduled to teach a 2.5-day workshop in Anchorage and Fairbanks on "Natural Resources Communication," designed to help natural resource professionals communicate more effectively with general and technical audiences, especially via slide shows.Cultural Diversity
Joe Sullivan, Chair. The Chapter announced the availability of a $350 award to help cover travel expenses to attend the Chapter’s 1997 annual meeting. Minimum qualifications to apply for the award are 1) female or member of a recognized minority group (Native American, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander); 2) reside greater than 50 miles from the meeting location or not reside in the meeting city in an area with no connecting road; 3) current AFS member (not delinquent on dues); and 4) in academic standing or in a fisheries-related occupation. Applications are available on the Chapter’s web site and from the chair by mail or e-mail. Applicants are evaluated on their contribution to fisheries, professionalism exhibited in job and related activities, academic background, reason for attending the meeting, and their personal statement and references. Preference is given to those presenting a poster or an oral presentation at the meeting. Three applicants applied for the award. Carol Kerkvliet was selected to receive the Chapter’s first award.Habitat Restoration Symposium
EXCOM, Chair. Fifteen papers were submitted to the proceedings. K Koski and Bill Hauser provided technical edits; Point Stephens Press provided editorial oversight. The President completed the final stages by designing the cover page, and putting together the title pages, Table of Contents, and editing the Forward. Point Stephens Press has developed a camera-ready product. EPA will publish the proceedings.Past Presidents
Chuck Meacham, Chair. Marine sanctuary investigation: President Merritt asked the Past President’s Committee to evaluate the marine refuge/park system in Alaska relative to a public request for the creation of a no-fishing area around the former naval base on Adak Island. There are about 35 state marine parks in Alaska, concentrated in Southeast, Cook Inlet, and Prince William Sound. Alaska statute 41.21.302(d) specifies that there can be no restriction of fishing permitted within a marine park under law or regulation of the Board of Fisheries or Board of Game. National Parks and Monuments in Alaska generally do not include marine waters. Glacier Bay is an exception and has been a source of conflict between subsistence and commercial users and state/federal governments.Governor’s Office and Legislative visits: During the legislative session, Committee Chair Chuck Meacham visited the Alaska Senate and House Resources Committee chairs and the Governor’s office on behalf of Chapter President Peggy Merritt offering Chapter help on fisheries-related technical and conservation issues. No requests were made by the legislature.
Resolutions and Bylaws
Dennis Tol, Chair. A new Chapter office was proposed by President Merritt, splitting the secretary/treasurer. The EXCOM proposed splitting the duties into two separate elected positions--a Secretary and a Treasurer-thereby increasing EXCOM voting members by one. Creating a new Chapter office required revision of the Bylaws. The wording for the Bylaws change was announced in the Chapter newsletter, and a ballot on the proposed change was included in the Fall issue. The Bylaws change was approved by majority vote of the membership. A Bylaws change regarding student membership fees was also discussed.Student Unit Annual Report, 1996-1997
Klaus Wuttig, Unit President. The Student Unit functions as a student organization from September to April during the academic year. Membership consists of students enrolled at Alaska universities and colleges. Officers from September 1996 to April 1997 were Klaus Wuttig, President; Mike Daigneault, Vice President; and Ted Lambert, Secretary-Treasurer. Jim Reynolds continued as Unit Advisor. Activities consisted of four Student Unit meetings, participation in the 1996 Chapter Annual Meeting in Fairbanks, and fund-raising projects. The annual fall potluck and social was held in October, featuring a video of hook-and-line sampling for sheefish on the Kobuk River. In November, the Student Unit presented a guest speaker, Brian Himmelbloom from the Fishery Industrial Technology Center in Kodiak. At the 1996 Chapter Annual Meeting, the Student Unit assisted with registration and videotaped all scheduled speakers. In February, Kenneth Alt presented "Sheefish of Alaska: A biological and historical perspective." A spring barbeque/social was held in April. Due to low turn out, officer elections were postponed until fall 1997. Ted Lambert and Lisa Mostella were appointed co-chairs and will maintain club activity until fall. The Unit fund-raising activities consisted of selling T-shirts, cookbooks, and videotapes of Annual Meeting presentations.Plans for the up-coming school year consist of continuing the socials and guest speaker presentations. A primary goal is to recruit undergraduate students and encourage more active participation by undergraduate members. Historically, the Student Unit has been comprised of a handful of graduate students, and we the officers wish to reverse this trend. Any suggestions for the Student Unit should be directed to the current co-chairs, care of the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, PO Box 756100, UAF, Fairbanks 99775-6100 (phone 474-7661, fax 474-7348).
Environmental Concerns
Bill Bechtol, Chair. The Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC) provides a means for the Chapter to coordinate technical and policy analysis and provide input on environmental issues affecting aquatic resources. Advocacy procedures were adopted in 1996 to guide the Chapter as a credible organization of fisheries professionals when offering input on politically sensitive issues. From November 1996 through October 1997 the ECC focused largely on habitat issues. The ECC monitored several developments in timber legislation and proposed timber harvest with respect to potential impacts on fish production. Extensive logging has been proposed for the Kenai Peninsula and other state areas as a response to widespread spruce bark beetle infestations. Several Chapter members, including Past- President Dana Schmidt, attended several meetings on the logging issue. One meeting, the Spruce Bark Beetle Infestation Workshop sponsored by the Alaska Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, provided a technical forum for identifying existing knowledge on beetle infestations and some of the tradeoffs between timber removal and allowing a natural progression of beetle kill forests. Most workshop participants determined that beetle infestations in Southcentral Alaska did not represent an environmental catastrophe that could be resolved only by emergency timber removal. After substantial internal discussion, the Chapter issued a position paper cautioning against the potential impacts of logging on fish production, encouraging an experimental design of adequate scope to assess impacts, and offering the Chapter as an information source.The ECC also worked in cooperation with an ad hoc Chapter committee to provide technical critique on the recently adopted revision of the Tongass Land Management Plan. [see Chapter letter elsewhere in this issue.] Although several aspects of the aquatic resources are still compromised, the revised plan included many improvements over previous Tongass standards, particularly with respect to buffer strips and logging standards in flood plains and in high-slope habitats. Although the revised plan provided for monitoring and evaluation of a number of land use practices, the ECC felt the revisions did not adequately address the need for watershed analysis to develop a better understanding of the roles of different components in the watershed ecosystem. The Chapter is not opposed to logging but supports forest practices that do not compromise aquatic resources. As such, the Chapter did not endorse a vaguely worded referendum to generally reduce or eliminate logging in the Tongass.
The ECC also continued to monitor changes enacted by the reauthorization of the Magnuson- Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act. A significant component included greater emphasis on understanding and protecting habitat. One aspect of this has been the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s release of draft assessment of "essential fish habitat." Some ECC members monitored water quality legislation, particularly changes that would potentially exempt hydroelectric facilities that are <5 megawatt capacity from many of the existing environmental standards. There has also been some interest in having the area within the Adak Naval Base identified as a marine sanctuary. Although the military has essentially withdrawn from Adak, the future of this area has not been determined.
The ECC continues to solicit committee members to track environmental issues of interest. Issues to be addressed during the next year may include the review of essential habitat for marine species, and the aquatic health impacts from logging, mining, and hydroelectric dams. Interested Chapter members should contact the Chapter president or the ECC chair.
Electronic Communications
Norma Jean Sands, Chair. This marked the second year of this committee whose main purpose is to maintain the Alaska Chapter website on the internet. The website is used to inform members and others about the structure and activities of our Chapter, and to provide electronic access to the newsletter and registration forms for courses and meetings. Our Internet Alaska account was upgraded to a full service account this year to handle information storage. Our website includes information about the Chapter and AFS and how to join. It also describes the function of the website and how to contribute information. It lists Chapter officers and committee members; links to committee reports, Chapter Bylaws, the Alaska Chapter Manual; abstracts and other information from past Annual Meetings; archived news items; current and past issues of the Chapter newsletter Oncorhynchus, and links to other fisheries-related information. The committee is interested in hearing what members would like to see on our website. The website address is http://www.alaska.net/~fishak and the e-mail address for sending comments and contributions to the website is fishak@alaska.net.Fish Key
Bill Wilson, chair. The Chapter's Fish Key Committee continued to oversee our contractors, Kitty and Tony Mecklenburg of Point Stephens Research Associates, as they complete a camera-ready manuscript "Annotated Keys to the Fishes of Alaska." The key was originally drafted by the late Rae Baxter and has been an ongoing Chapter project since 1989. In 1997, remaining sections of the Key were completed and circulated for peer review. In addition, other previously drafted sections of the Key have been continually reworked and revised, and the Classification and Bibliography were completed. In May, the Committee recommended to the EXCOM that computer memory, and scanning equipment requested by Point Stephens Research Associates be approved and paid for from the BRD grant for production of the Key. The BRD Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, Lyman Thorsteinson, recommended approval, and the purchase was subsequently approved by the Chapter's EXCOM. In August, I met with AFS editorial staff Bob Kendall and Beth Staehle at the AFS meeting in Monterey to discuss progress on the Key and its format and anticipated production process. National AFS has since developed preliminary cost scenarios for its production and distribution. The Chapter will use these data to determine the best way to work with AFS to print, advertise, and distribute the book. Remaining jobs for 1998 are to complete peer reviews of the Key’s eight sections, incorporate reviewer comments, finalize all sections, and proofread and prepare the document in camera-ready format. We will submit to AFS a test section of the Key in summer 1998, and we anticipate completion of this entire project by November 1998.Awards
Suzanne Hayes, Chair. The Awards Committee consists of Suzanne Hayes, Bill Wilson, and Nicole Szarzi. An important duty of the Awards Committee is to select the recipient of the Meritorious Service Award (MSA) which recognizes professional excellence and outstanding contributions to Alaska fisheries. The award was given to Lyman Thorsteinson in 1996. Lyman’s most recent contribution to fisheries is completing the "Annotated Keys to the Fishes of Alaska." This year the committee received only one nomination for the MSA and had one from the previous year. Since neither nomination met the award criteria, the committee decided not to award the MSA this year.Of equal importance is our duty to select the best paper awards at the Annual Meeting. Recipients at the 1996 Chapter meeting were Best Poster: Carol Woody for "Phenotypic and habitat use variation between proximate sockeye salmon populations, Tustumena Lake, Alaska;" Best Student Paper: Micheal Daigneault for "Health and condition of outmigrating juvenile chinook and chum salmon the Chena River, Alaska;" and Best Paper: Penny Crane and Lisa Seeb for "Genetic diversity patterns of chum salmon of the Yukon River."
I wish to reiterate Nicole Szarzi’s suggestion from 1995 that the Chapter create a new award to recognize personal contributions to the Chapter to show appreciation for dedicated Chapter service. Outstanding service to the Chapter does not meet the criteria for the MSA. I invite everyone to contact me with your comments or suggestions for other awards the Chapter might dispense to recognize outstanding achievements in fisheries activities.
Stocks at Risk
Alex Wertheimer, Chair. In 1992, the Chapter and the North Pacific International Chapter submitted proposals to determine the extinction risk for salmon and steelhead in Alaska and western Canada. The proposals were coordinated through National AFS. In 1993, and a $106,300 grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts came to the Chapter for work in Alaska. Objectives went beyond tabulating stocks at risk, but also to provide context by including healthy stocks. The Chapter formed this ad hoc committee composed of fisheries professionals with broad salmon experience in Alaska to implement the project. The scope of the project was reduced to only Southeast Alaska because the contract was inadequate to complete the project for the entire state, even with a time extension and additional fiscal support. In October 1996, the manuscript "Evaluation of Escapements of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead in Southeast Alaska" by T. T. Baker et al. was published in Fisheries. Reprints are available from Committee members, and a summary of the article was published in the Fall 1996 Oncorhynchus. The Fisheries article accompanied the report from the North Pacific International Chapter "Status of Anadromous Salmon and Trout in British Columbia and Yukon," as well as two essays on salmon management from Canadian and Alaskan perspectives.Publication accomplished the major objective of this Committee. In 1997, however, the Chapter EXCOM decided to explore options for extending the status review to the rest of the state. President Merritt asked that the Stocks-at-Risk Committee reconvene at the 1997 Annual Meeting to consider this issue.
Membership
Allen Bingham. As of September 1997, the Chapter had 430 individual members, including 324 active, 42 student, 51 life, and 8 retired members. The Chapter’s 5-year membership recruitment and loss chart indicates that membership has held steady since last year (a year with substantial reduction). The "good news" is that since September the Chapter has recruited 22 new Active and 12 new Student members as a result of the Chapter Annual Meeting in Juneau.| Member Category | Number of Members in September |
|
|
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
| Active |
358 |
372 |
353 |
334 |
324 |
| Life |
54 |
54 |
55 |
53 |
51 |
| Retired |
7 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
| Student |
42 |
52 |
59 |
39 |
42 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
| Total |
461 |
486 |
475 |
435 |
430 |
International Relations
Mark E. Stopha, Chair. Applications are still available for Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance, a Washington, DC, organization that sends skilled volunteers to developing nations. Assignments are generally 3 weeks to 3 months. No salary is paid, but all travel and expenses are covered by VOCA. Volunteers from Alaska have worked on aquaculture consulting in Belarus, assistance with setting up a water quality lab in Egypt, and fish smoking in Russia. Contact me at MarkES@fishgame.state.ak.us.Wally Noerenburg Award
Bill Arvey, Chair. Nominations were solicited at the 1996 Annual Meeting and via announcement in Oncorhynchus. Deadline for receiving nominations was July 31, 1997. The committee received nominations before the deadline, and nominees were evaluated. The committee convened via teleconference on September 5. By majority vote, Dr. John H. Clark was selected to receive the 1997 Noerenburg Award. The award plaque was ordered and ready for the 1997 Annual Meeting. There were no further Committee activities.For those of you tracking the EFH proposed rule (a provision of the 1996 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act), it is expected to be issued soon as an interim final rule with a 60-day comment period. Watch for it in the Federal Register. If you want NMFS to mail you a copy, call me at 586-7235. The NMFS Alaska Region’s preliminary EFH Assessment Reports will soon be available. For copies, call the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) at 271-2809 or NMFS Habitat Conservation Division at 586-7235. Two EFH workshops will be held in conjunction with the next NPFMC meeting (first week of February at the Anchorage Hilton). For more information, call me or Dave Witherell (271-2809).